CHANGE YOUR MIND, CHANGE YOUR WORLD!
October 2013
Christine
Welch
www.coffeecakeconnection.com
Inside:
17 Year Old Clothing Designer:
Kyle Sarnecke, LIVE FAST
Models of the Month
Fashion: Mix & Match for Fall 2013, by: Bflyfashion
Tips for getting your house ready for winter
by: Brian McNally, McNally Heating & A/C
Www.shootingstar-studios.com
https://www.facebook.com/ShootingStarStudios
A FUNDRAISER BENEFITTING VICTIMS
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SAVE THE DATE: JANUARY 18, 2014
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
http://www.victorpacini.com/a-night-for-renee/
Primary Election: March 18, 2014 For yard signs or to volunteer:
www.kramerforsheriff.org Email:
[email protected] Phone: (630) 525-1609
Gourmet Food Gift Company—Creating
deeper connections with gourmet coffee
cakes—Gluten Free now available!
Christine
Welch
“In 2010, I
didn't like
anything
about my life.
I felt
miserable”
Www.coffeecakeconnection.com
Christine Welch
Mission Statement
The Coffeecake Connection
Company’s focus and purpose is
to provide a positive, lasting
experience that deepens our
client’s most important
connections—personal or
professional. We continuously
strive to provide our clients with
the highest quality products and
services that exceed and delight
our customers’ expectations.
n the year of 2010, I didn't like anything about my
life, I felt I was a terrible wife, my kids were grown and
we were always fighting, I felt miserable. No matter
what I did, it was wrong. My job was extremely
stressful, I didn't like me, I didn't like how I was
responding and I kept thinking I need to change. There's
a book I read, “Change your story Change your life". I
thought “OK”, I need to change my story, because if I
keep telling people how miserable I am, then I am going
to stay miserable.
I had been baking this particular coffee cake for 8
years . My clients positively loved it, so, consequently,
it became to the point where they would only schedule
me in the mornings. It would insure them of having one
of my delicious cakes. As I moved into management, I
would bake these coffee cakes and send them to clients
as a "THANK YOU". If your group or your team did
something for me, I would send a coffee cake. Then the
next thing I knew everywhere I went, everyone was
asking “can I get one of your coffee cakes”?, and they
would say “you should really make these and sell
them”. I was in technology, and our core product was
payroll services. I managed a team. The payroll
industry is not a lot of fun at the end of the year because
of what need to be done. So let's just say I would
fantasized about baking my coffee cakes. 2011, brought
many changes, my husband and I separated in
February. I lost my job in March. A life I had know was
no longer there after ten years.. I thought “WOW, OK,
what now?”
To stay in Corporate America would have been ideal.,
but not my dream. A client who had my cakes called
me up and said “why don't you bake and sell to our
employees”?. So I said “OK”, I had my Food Safety
License; because this was always something I
WANTED to do, I just didn't know HOW to do it.
Constantly fantasying about baking my cakes, could it
be a reality now? Questions and more questions, where
do I start, what do I do?
I felt like I had hit this EJECT BUTTON and BLEW UP my LIFE. So
I went out and got liability insurance, and I called back the CFO and I
told her I was good to go, she said, “I'm ok, HR is ok, Legal is fine, but
the chef will not let you in the kitchen”. Why not? Now what? So I
went onto LINKEDIN and I signed up for some groups and sent out a
message that I was looking for a place to bake and a complete stranger
replied; “do you want to bake or do you want someone to bake for
you?” This was so cool and interesting, I said “Tell me more!”
I never wanted to be the Dunkin Donuts Guy, I didn't want to get up at
the crack of dawn and bake. That was not where I wanted to be. So he
gave me this connection to Chicago Pastry which is in Bloomindale.
They are cousins of the Turano Bread Family. They do for us what
they do for others, they bake your recipe to your specification and
package it and then you resell it. And they have a bakery shop. They
are a professional bakery, they are called a Co-packer.
November 2011, I pushed the button on Constant Contact and sent out
1300 emails to friends and family who had either had my cake, or
knew my story. Before I knew it, I had tons of orders. Now I had
Then in November after
many serious of
meetings, I decided this
is definitely what I want
to do.
I had hired a marketing
company that would help
with a business plan,
marketing, logo, etc. I
signed a contract and
paid them, and
then... they went out of
business.
I had to start all over in
late November, 2011. I
thought this is terrible, if
I miss this holiday
season, I'm dead, I lose,
because no one is going
to buy in January.
Christine Welch
another problem, when you use a co-packer you have to give them 10 days
notice. So I told the baker, I don't know how many cakes I need to have you
bake, so he said let's start with 25 of each, well we had 4 flavors, so we would
start with our signature ones; Chocolate Chip, and Pumpkin.
I told him you don't understand, there are so many people that have had my
cake for free for years and I think that they are going to support me in my
endeavor. I think I am going to start with 100 each. Within two weeks, I called
him up and said if I just give you money will you just bake as many as you
can. I had orders flooding in, we moved 1,100 coffee cakes in 2 weeks. I had
no freezer, I was filling orders out of my house. I would get the order online,
drive out to him, get the cakes, run home, dress them up and box them and ship
out these coffee cakes. There were times that we would have coffee cakes 15
high, three deep just waiting by the door for the UPS guy. It was CRAZY,
CRAZY GOOD!
In January, I sat down with the bakery and he asked if I would like to sell for
them, she said laughing. I said “no”. Shortly
after that, everything came to a screeching
halt. I was new to this business I had never
networked, I no idea what I was doing, I had no
idea where I belonged and so for 6 months I was
like a dog with a long tail and everyday it got
shorter. Where do I go now? I was trying all of
these things and nothing was working. Then we
were blessed with an opportunity, through a
connection with Toast Masters.
Through joining Toast Masters, I was put in
connection with Oberweis, who picked us up for
just the holidays. There was no contract, we
started talking in June and in September we were
on their menu from September to middle
November, we moved 9,000 coffee cakes to their
customers, which was really a blessing. Then
that was over and we were into the holiday season, so the first half of the year
up until May or June, I knew everyone who ordered and I thought OMG this is
not good. We started getting out there and building our clients. We then
moved into our building last October. I met my landlord at an event and I told
him I needed space it all worked out. Last year we moved the week before
Christmas and moved 5 pallets, there are 3000 cakes to a pallet. We moved
1500 Cakes and in December we moved 3,000 cakes. We are getting ready for
this holiday this season. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
We now have GLUTEN FREE CAKES, which will take us to a different group
of individuals that are really missing a great sweet treat without wheat. There
is not a lot that you can send as a gift. You might find them in a local bakery,
but if you want to send it out of state, we offer that on a gifting basis, we are
designed to send our cakes through the mail. We do not use preservative, we
do not use nuts. We do not have a long shelve life
that is why we do not go after retail
aggressively. When we do go into retail we want
to go into a more boutique retailer to help them
expand and grow and keep their clients happy.
With a quality product that they could bake, we
have the raw batter that they could have on demand
and bake at home.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I would like
to create more jobs and send out good mojo. Every
time an order is placed you are sending a strong
positive emotion, which food is such a huge
emotional connection between people. Some of your most treasured
relationships’ are centered around food, whether it's holiday's, family, dating,
or marriage. For example, look at a wedding, it's a huge food event, even
funerals are surrounded by food. It's more than just comforting, it creates
I had 4 goals in 2011:
1. Fix my marriage, it was fixed in a negative way
2. Find a New job or start my company
3. Do volunteer work. I felt I needed to give back to the world, so I started doing volun-teer work for Peoples Re-search Center in Wheaton
4. Joining Toast Masters, this was just to get me out there.
The Coffee Cake Connection Company
GLUTEN FREE
CAKES
When someone receives my brown box they know they got something really good! We are starting to see this from the feedback.
This perfect stranger came into our office for a meeting and said “I know
that brown box, I know that company”, I was so excited, it's
happening. Branding, just branding can do it.
In a business, it's so easy to make it more complex than what it needs to
be. Keeping it simple, pure and honest, when you’re creating a delightful
cake We have introduced 13 different flavors, 4 sizes, Gluten Free and
the Regular. That is a lot of complexity and then we have the wholesale
arm, so it's easy to create complexity and hard to stay simple. I think as an
entrepreneur the biggest struggle is to stay focused. You want to grow and
get bigger and bigger. There are times where people give you these great
ideas, so you try it and you start to see traction, where you’re not seeing
traction in other areas, so you get excited and off to another path of bright
shinny things.
Wisdom, discernment, trust - there are going to be times that you make
mistakes, but you will learn from them.
Try not to keep your thoughts negative, keep positive! You’re going to
make mistakes, sadly we always have the negative voice that is louder
than our positive voice. You have to try and push the negative off your
shoulder. I am not going to listen to you today, be gone!
I start my day off and say “Today someone is going to buy a coffee cake,
they don’t know why, but they just all of a sudden
have a craving.” Strange enough, it just
happens! By putting positive vibes out there,
positive vibes attract more positive vibes!
Law of attraction, mind over matter. I follow
Mike Dooley in the Secret, he has a website called
Tuck.com. Notes from the universe, of which I
subscribed to years ago, he sends messages every day from the universe, in essence telling you how wonderful you are. He has a
strong belief in God and that the universe is God. God wants to give you whatever you are asking for. And his whole process is…
Thoughts become things, so think the good ones, It’s interesting because you get to put the three things that
you want in life and he will occasionally put them in there so the message is personal.
There are times in your life that people are brought into your life that will say something that you needed to hear, there will be
something that you will read that is like solving and or speaking directly to you. It must be fate! I truly believe that it is messages
from little angles saying that it’s ok and you’re on track. Now it depends on what you do with that information that makes the
difference. Once in a while; I still feel like that dog with a long tail that keeps getting shorter or that I just lost four days, that I am
never going to get back, perhaps because I was “stinkin thinkin or chasing something that I should not have been”, but it’s all about
the journey and learning. You don’t know unless you try it.
In 30 years of my career, I went into the world of training and then went back into selling software – I had never been a baker, I was a
sales person and I sold software. I was very processed oriented which was helpful, but much of my business has been self-taught. I
have had a learning curve with learning to trust and let go, because as you grow, you need to put certain things in others hands to
continue to grow and trust that they will handle it. It’s very hard, especially as an entrepreneur, that you feel that you have to know
what is going on at all times and you have to have your hands in the pot at all times. I have found that it is so difficult to let go. I
have to trust that I hired you, that I was smart when I hired you and that you are going to do what I hired you to do, and we might
have bumps along the way.
We enter the world alone, we die alone, but in the meantime we are surrounded by a million
people. It’s the law of attraction and making sure that you are attracting the right people. I feel
that there are more people that are good than bad. I am putting good mojo out in the world every
day!
KUDDOS TO CHRIS for a sincere determination and the ability not to give up when she was
thrown wrenches in her career.
~ Karla A. Sitko
Editor
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o achieve a great look you must be willing to take some risks in your wardrobe. This fall season the runways have been taking risks as many designers have been displaying an unconventional use of pattern mixing. Pattern mixing allows you to have fun with your garments and provides a way to use certain pieces with different outfits. The trend of mixing will literally expand your closet in new ways! It might be scary to try it out but you can start out subtle. First take a look at your closet and see what prints you have. Prints that can be easily mixed are
stripes, floral, polka dots, chevron, and animal prints. Once you’ve selected your prints patterns
make sure that prints complement each other. Pairing two bold prints like plaid and chevron will clash but if you pair one garment with a larger print and one with a smaller print it will give your look a nice contrast. Another good rule of thumb when mixing patterns is to make sure your prints are in the same color family this will help pull the outfit together and will prevent the pieces from
looking too busy. This fall be fearless with fabric; don’t be afraid to mix it up!
Looking for professional models and/or talent?
Look no further!
When you hire a
model, who is
trained to be camera
ready, that means
you will get the end
result in a timely
fashion.
Let’s face it, time is money! Don’t
waste a day or money and then
potentially end up having to do a 2nd
shoot, because you didn't get what you
wanted.
Meet our talent:
http://lookatourtalent.weebly.com/meet-our-talent.html
LAUREN
Get Serious, Get Published...
You found them right here, we are based locally in St. Charles, IL
About a month ago, I had an
opportunity to meet Kyle Sarnecke at
a fashion show rehearsal. Kyle was
announced as a “Designer” and he
was only 17 years old. I had to
introduce myself to him, I knew his
story needed to be told, that there
was so much more to this young
man! Kyle was a little shocked at
first and extremely grateful that I
wanted to write a story about his
journey. Kyle and I messaged a few
times before actually meeting. He is
an extremely professional and
responsible young man. I had the
honor of meeting these three best
friends, that have a bond that is
unbreakable! I will introduce each of
them to you, Kyle Sarnecke, the man
behind the brand “Live Fast Clothing”,
which was a burning desire 2 years in
the making.
Danny Rossi, 17 year old Artist who draws each design
by hand before Kyle converts it digitally and Nicolette
Montes de Oca aka Nikki, 17, who models the Live Fast
Clothing Line and spends much of her free time sewing
making sure each label is made to perfection for the
branding. These three teens truly understand what being
an entrepreneur is really like, from working long hours,
staying up all night, reinvesting money into the branding,
marketing and manufacturing of the product, not taking a
single penny for themselves at this point. Kyle and
Danny are the designers and artists, they always bounce
the ideas off each other and come to an agreement on
each and every design, not straying away from the idea
behind the meaning. They always come up with a name
of each design, this is where it can get a little sticky,
because a design may mean one thing to Danny, but
completely different to Kyle, and in the end they want it
to interpret themselves and fit their personalities for who
they are. Most of the designs are designed around them,
for instance, Kyle really likes foxes, he said “they are just
cool”. One design that Danny came up with was about
his girlfriend.
Kyle said “I remember being so stressed once, I was up
late sending the files over for print and meeting a
deadline, which I did. And then I was in school and got
an email that the file was the wrong size, there was
nothing I could do right then, I was stressed all day!”
Drive equals WANT for Kyle, he said “I just wanted to
do it!, I was into games, I
was a gamer bum, wasn’t
into sports. I had this
idea and just made it
happen.” He went on to
say that “I am a good
saver, so the money was
never an issue to get
started.”
Live Fast does not mean
what you think it would
mean, as Kyle explained
“We are pushing a new
idea behind the meaning,
understand that you have
to live every day!”
A big part of the inspiration for the Live Fast Clothing is Bands, these three are into
heavy metal
The new Winter line which is set to come out late October is better quality, better
designs and more professional. It is also a little “darker line” per Kyle.
“We are doing what we love”
Danny said his mom “loves it!”, while Nikki’s mom is heavily
involved, “She is the Swiss Army Knife” said Nikki, she helps
“said Nikki
With the prices, hand sewing, making sure
they stop to eat and she is the one who
continues to push Kyle 100%!
Above: Kyle, with a sneak peak of
the new Winter Collection
“Hope for the best, but
expect the worst” is
how Kyle continues to
move forward. Kyle is
a big saver, it took 8-9
months to plan the
designs for what he
wanted to do. Early in
2012 it became more
vivid for him.
While getting the
“Live Fast Clothing”
line going, Kyle lost
all of his elementary
friends except for those sitting right by his side, Danny
and Nikki. Kyle was experiencing bulling by his so
called peers. Luckily for him, he has 2 amazing friends
by his side and a life long bond between them! It took
him about 6 months to get back into the game. Fast
forward to November 2012 Kyle was “kicking it back
up”. And in January 2013, their first shirt “Anchor was
available (pictured in the upper left hand corner), they
named it “Amor Mare”, which means “Love of the
ocean” per Kyle. This shirt is a very artistic design with
real creative drawings on the back full of lots of little
things, buy one and take a closer look!
One of Kyle’s favorite names of a shirt is “Shima” he
likes the way it sounds and it creates a deeper double
meaning.
Drop Dead is Kyle’s number one inspiration.
There was a men’s sweater that was
designed by Klye, which he called
“Love is Dead”. The design was an
upside down heart and one of his first
designs. He designed it, it was his idea
first and prior to being released Drop
Dead came out with a very similar
design.
“Make A Moment Last, Live Fast” ~ Kyle
www.letslivefast.com
“Make A Moment Last, Live Fast” ~ Kyle
www.letslivefast.com
KYLE
NIKKI
The future is looking very bright for
the se three artists. They have
overcome many obstacles and
continue to keep a very positive
attitude, while working hard every
day!
October 12, 2013 they were designers
and had models walk the runway, I mean rock the
runway for the first time. The Fashion Show was a
fund raiser for Suicide Prevention which took place in
Elburn, IL.
Currently they are working on a Comic Book. A
release date has not been set yet, as they are raising
funds through Kick Starter, the goal is $2,500. The
Comic Book will be based on personal experiences,
like who they are and what people can relate to.
5 years from now, Kyle sees things going 2 ways, 1.
they will be doing really well or 2. failing. He
explained “We are working for the best, but preparing
for failing, it’s just good to be prepared and have a back
up plan.” Kyle is currently in a band, which plays
heavy metal, he would like to go further with his music
as he continues with his dream come true of the LIVE
FAST
CLOTHING line
and the up and
coming Comic
Books.
Question for you,
our readers:
What were you
doing when you
were 17?
Thank you for the
inspiration Kyle,
Danny & Nikki!
Downtown
St.
Charles
322 West Main Street *
Downtown St. Charles, IL
60174
(630) 457-1821
Eat... Downtown
St.
Charles
Play
322 West Main Street *
Downtown St. Charles, IL
60174
(630) 457-1821
Eat Play
LEARN...
Downtown
St.
Charles
STAY…
Hotel Baker offers the epitome in all things luxurious -- elegant guest rooms and suites, state of the art amenities, exceptional dining and lounge venues, and a scenic riverside setting that's second to none. Anywhere.
If you're planning a wedding, party, banquet, conference or other event, we invite you to talk with our sales and catering professionals who are available to assist you. Our incomparable meeting and banquet facilities can accommodate groups from 10-300 in an atmosphere of sophisticated elegance and grace. And in season, Hotel Baker's charming rose garden and outdoor patio dining create a lovely, memorable
setting. You can be confident that everything will be done according to the highest level of service and careful attention to detail.
For reservations or catering information, call 630-584-2100 or 800-284-0110. A tradition of excellence awaits you at historic Hotel Baker in downtown St. Charles.
322 West Main Street *
Downtown St. Charles, IL
60174
(630) 457-1821
Life is not always
easy or fair, but it
is with a Positive
Mental Attitude
that will change the
end result -
hard work and
passion too!
I have always been about Positive Mental Attitude, and with that, ANYONE can OVERCOME
ANYTHING! Your MIND is a POWERFUL TOOL! I feel that we as a team need to inspire
the next generation of success stories waiting to happen by sharing our own! With hard work, passion
and the right attitude, anything is possible! It's easy to give up and hard to push forward. When
anything went wrong in my life, my mom would say you have 5 minutes to feel sorry for yourself
and then move on, only you can make the changes you want to see in life. This seemed really harsh,
but as I grew, I understood it more and more and now find myself saying the same thing to my
daughter.
So I ask that you share your story about your personal success. How you started and one of your fondest
memories, one of your most heart-felt memories and if you would be willing to share - the moment when you
were ready to give up, and what made you push forward, what was that inspiration? We all have these
stories, but it is not shared enough, which is why I am publishing this magazine. If you are viewing this
publication online, you can click on any website or Facebook link and you will be directed to that page.
Welcome to our journey…
Karla
“LIKE” us on Facebook and submit your story
https://www.facebook.com/IDIDITMAGAZINE
We are a fundraising pageant that raises money for Shriners Hospital for Children.
Miss Summer Shine USA was inspired by a young girl who was diagnosed with scoliosis and has
received treatment at the Chicago Shriners Hospital.
Our pageant is a family friendly pageant that is all about helping out and having fun while helping
our contestants build confidence and self esteem.
We are a natural pageant that allows age appropriate makeup and no swimwear competition. No
experience needed
For more information visit us at our website www.summershineusa.com, e-mail us at
[email protected] or call 630-492-0138
Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/summershinepageant
Miss Summer Shine USA
“ H a v i n g F u n W h i l e H e l p i n g O u t O t h e r s ”
You could be our next Miss Summer Shine USA
e are a family owned business serving the general public since 1987. We pride ourselves with the quality of our merchandise priced at a competitive level. We carefully select the craftsmanship and gems of our products to fit our store’s image. Over the years, our sales and servicing departments earned us a wide and loyal customer base which we greatly value. We invite you to visit our store and
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Namaste - The Divine
In me Honors
The Divine In you
Mood Rings Fads come and go. Every generation has had its turn with something new that fascinates to distraction
even if it doesn’t make any sense. As so many
people have, I've lived through a few fads that came and went. They popped up for a time and people went out to purchase that brand new item just for fun or just to have it. Then poof! It disappeared just as quickly as it appeared never to be seen again. Some of the fads however, are more durable and longer lasting than others. As is the mood ring. They are fascinating objects that have remained interesting for years. As a kid, I was intrigued by the look of mood rings and I just had to have one of my own. I do remember my first mood ring. Even though they
were thought of as “far-out,” I thought it was fun and
felt mystical just wearing one. Just the setting of the ring made it seem like there was a supernatural aura about it. My first ring looked huge on my finger and practically fell off. As was the common thing back then, I wrapped yarn around the shank to make it fit snugly. The ring was quickly gaining popularity and I soon noticed several of my friends wearing one too. We enjoyed putting the mood rings on our fingers and watching them change colors. It was awesome when before our eyes the color deepened to a blue/purple color. It looked like you could take a person's temperature. My mood really didn't change as I thought it would. Some of us liked trading the rings with each other to see if the colors would match our personalities and take on a different color. It didn't. Guess we later found that the heat of our body temperature changed the colors, not our personalities. After doing some research, I found out that mood rings are made from thermo chronic liquid crystal. According to an article from Spectrum Wellbeing, thermo chronic liquid crystals have color changing properties depending on heat. The liquid crystal moves as it comes into contact with heat, thereby absorbing different wavelengths of light. This allows you to see the different colors in the mood ring. The first man who used thermo chronic liquid crystals in designing jewelry was Marvin Wernick, according to Spectrum Wellbeing. Wernick apparently saw a doctor using the thermo chronic liquid crystal in strips of plastic to take children's' temperatures. He then decided to put liquid crystal in glass domes and mount them in silver and gold ring settings. However, since Wernick had not patented his idea, another man named Joshua Reynolds created and sold the famous trendy mood rings that were worn in the 1970s.
When I wore mood rings, I believed there was some magic happening when wearing them. It was fun for both children and adults to play along with the mood rings like they were some kind of mysterious fortune teller. It was always exciting to see what mood someone was in and we would look at the rings and talk endlessly about what it was saying. I remember the colors representing the following moods: Purple- Happy/Romantic; Blue- Calm/Peaceful; Green- Stable/Relaxed; Amber- Excited/Anxious; Gray- Nervous; Black- Upset/Stressed Out. Mood rings are still available today, but there have since been more serious uses for thermo chronic liquid crystal. It is used for controlling the temperature in fish tanks, in some refrigerators, and for medicinal uses. Some people suffering from mood disorders use devices with the thermo chronic liquid crystal to predict and prevent a panic attack. There have been many other not-so-famous uses for thermo chronic liquid crystal, including mood collars for dogs and cats. This mood collar had small mood stones which would tell the owner if the animal was tense for some reason. There have also been thermo chronic toilet seats developed for the germ phobics. These were designed to tell you if the public toilet seat had recently been sat on and used. The toilet seat glowed orange if someone had just sat upon it, and was yellow if the seat hadn't been used recently. I also heard about "Melanoma Bracelets." When a person is exposed to harmful Ultra Violet rays, the bracelet turns from white to purple. This is to raise awareness about melanoma prevention, according to Spafinder.com, a website that sells these bracelets. While my mystical mood ring lost popularity and eventually ended up in my junk drawer, I loved owning one and being part of the craze. Even though you can still buy them these days, they will always be considered a '70s fad. It seems that fads just make the world a more interesting place, just like those Magic 8 balls, Ouija Boards, Mad Libs, Pet Rocks, Lava Lamps, Bell Bottoms, Shag Rugs...etc. I wonder what the latest one will be.
~ Rachel
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It was the summer of 1944, and Clarissa and
Marc escaped to the south of Holland
hoping to avoid being captured by the
Nazis. The train engineers in Holland had
gone on strike and no trains were going
anywhere. It took Clarissa and Marc many
weeks to complete their journey to his
hometown of Brabant, a city in the south of
Holland. The town had already been
liberated from Nazi occupation nine months
prior to when the Northern part of Holland
was liberated. Marc and Clarissa were
married there and settled in Marc's family
home where she became pregnant and was
due in June. Life was a lot easier in Brabant
then it had been in Amsterdam. Marc and
his family were able to get food and other
necessities from the Americans. When
Clarissa's little brother Robbie was just two
years old, her parents made the decision to
let the underground take him and locate a
safe house in which he could stay. The
family knew it was the only way that little
Robbie would have a chance to survive the
war.
After Clarissa had settled in Brabant, she
started thinking about her little brother
more and more every day. Something deep
inside her kept telling her that Robbie was
somewhere nearby, and knowing in her
heart that he was not that far away, became
determined to find him. Finally, in the
middle of April the urge to find Robbie
became so strong, she knew she had to
follow her instincts and start searching for
him. She went to a nearby office that had
been set up to help refugees find their
family members. Hoping that they might
help her, Clarissa went inside the office and
explained to the person in charge that she
had been trying to find her little brother
who would be almost five years old now.
The person took down all of the
information and told Clarissa that they
would check into her story. They promised
they would be in touch with her if they
heard anything.
Clarissa returned home feeling sad and
waited, because that was all she could do
now. Several days passed, but with no news
of Robbie she became depressed knowing
that her little brother was out there
Robbie Comes Home
boy about Robbie’s age and wanted to
show them to her. Excited, Clarissa ran
outside and, as fast as she could, made
her way home. She wanted to be there to
see the pictures when the man arrived. It
was a tough run because of the extra
weight of the baby she carried. She
moved as if her life depended on it. She
made it home just minutes before the
man got there and instantly heard the
sound of a clank, clank outside. It was the
sound of a bicycle with wooden wheels
that made so much noise.
Impatient now, Clarissa waited for the
man to get to the door, and out of breath
asked him to come inside. She was so
excited she could barely speak. The man
took the pictures out of an envelope and
handed them to her. There were three
small pictures. Slowly Clarissa stared at
each picture and disappointment crept
across her face. The little boy in the
picture had black hair and her little
brother had golden blond hair. This was
not Robbie. With a sigh, Clarissa handed
the pictures back to the man but he
insisted that she keep them. She
responded immediately, noting that this
was not her brother in the pictures so
there was no need for her to keep them.
The man understood her frustration but
said that he could do nothing with the
pictures and that that she should just
keep them anyway. He then turned
around and left while Clarissa was left
staring sadly at the pictures in her hands.
She sat down near a small table feeling
very tired. Again her eyes glanced over
the three pictures. She put the pictures
side by side and stared at them.
Suddenly, she screamed, "It's him, it's
him!" Then she thought about how she
had wanted to give the pictures back to
the man and he had refused taking them.
Had the man taken back the pictures she
would have never realized that the images
in her hands were in fact Robbie. She was
overcome with emotion and didn't know if
she should laugh or cry. She did both and
couldn't stop talking and crying and
laughing because it was all so
About Robbie being in hiding. When he
and Clarissa first met, Robbie had already
been sent to the underground. Clarissa
and Marc went immediately back to the
office and asked to speak to the person in
charge. Clarissa explained through her
tears that the pictures she was given
earlier were indeed that of her brother
Robbie and she wanted to see him. She
was informed that her brother was living
in a nearby village and that she would
have to make arrangements for a visit.
Clarissa and Marc where given the name
of the village but not the name of the
family, and there was no address where
the people lived. She would have to get in
touch through the office that helped
locate him and they in turn would have to
get in touch with the family who was
taking care of Robbie.
The office informed Clarissa that they
would set up the time for a visitation and
let her know the day and time.
“Would he still remember her,” she
wondered?
Clarissa felt the need to see where her
brother had been living for the last three
years, and being that he was so close by,
she needed to go and feel his presence.
She and Marc decided to go and visit the
village where Robbie was living and
wander around. They took a train to the
small village and when they arrived and
exited the train, Clarissa felt an
overwhelming excitement and
anticipation. For her it was an
unbelievable turn of events. Through pure
instinct she found her brother even
though she had given up hope of ever
seeing him again. Now she was here in
the village where Robbie had been for the
last two and a half years and she now
knew that Robbie was safe. To think that
she had been living in the next village not
knowing Robbie was so close by. Clarissa
and Marc walked up and down the streets,
and discovered the people were very
friendly greeting them with smiles and
saying hello. Children where playing and
running up and down the sidewalks.
There was activity everywhere and the
sounds they were hearing were like a
beautiful symphony when compared with
the empty streets of Amsterdam for so
many years. Suddenly, down the street a
little boy was running and just at that
moment Marc caught a glimpse of the
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they could see the boy. The young woman hesitated, informing them that she was a neighbor but would let him and his wife
come in and take a look. The children were innocently playing, and had no idea of the drama unfolding around them. They
seemed oblivious to everything except the joy of playing with one another. Clarissa spotted Robbie and recognized him
immediately because of the little sweater he was wearing that his mother had knitted for him to take along before he left. She
stared at him in disbelief. It was almost impossible for her to comprehend that she had found him here. Clarissa ran up to
Robbie and scooped him up into her arms. She was kissing him and telling him that she was his sister. The tears wouldn't stop
and Robbie never tried to get away from her. In fact, he allowed this woman, who claimed to be his sister, hold him with his tiny
arms wrapped around her neck as he snuggled into her arms.
The young woman who had been watching the incredible scene unfold before her said she would have to take Robbie with her,
speak to his Mommy, and inform her that his sister was here. When Clarissa met with the lady, called Mommy Van Doorn, she
could see the love this woman had for her little brother. She was obviously a wonderful person who had given Robbie both her
love and a safe home. They began sharing information, and when Mommy Van Doorn left the room, she returned with all of
Robbie's clothes that had been sent with him all those years ago. Robbie was now nearly five years old and had outgrown most
of the clothes that came with him because he was two years old when he left his original family. Gently, Mommy Van Doorn
folded and placed each outfit into a small bag. Clarissa stood there watching while a rush of memories flooded her head. Images
of her mother sitting in the corner by the window knitting, sewing and crocheting several small articles of clothing for Robbie
flashed through her mind. It overwhelmed her and she started crying softly as she lovingly touched each piece of clothing.
Clarissa then thought about her escape from Amsterdam almost a year earlier and had no idea whether her mother, father and
brother were still alive. She felt so happy and so sad all at the same time. Would her mother and father still be there and would
they still have hope of Robbie’s return? She heard that it was only a matter of weeks until all of Holland would be liberated.
What had happened to her family? Mommy Van Doorn told Clarissa when the neighbor first brought Robbie home and informed
her that a woman claiming to be Robbie's sister had come and was kissing him, she was amazed because Robbie would never
have allowed anyone to hug or kiss him since his arrival. He had allowed Clarissa to hold him and kiss him and that was
phenomenal. Robbie sat on Clarissa's lap the whole time they were talking. He just kept staring at her with his beautiful blue-
green eyes. It was as if he was willing himself to remember her. Mommy Van Doorn told Clarissa that she had secretly hoped no
one would come and claim Robbie because she loved him so much and wanted to raise him as her very own. She also declared
that she believed Clarissa was his true sister and she would let her take Robbie home. .
Again, Clarissa was overcome with the sheer
magnitude of events. So many miracles in such a
brief period of time were both welcome and
overwhelming. Clarissa promised Mommy Van
Doorn that she would always stay in touch with her
and she would make sure that Robbie visited.
Mommy Van Doorn packed the rest of his small
bag. This little boy who had been taken from his
real family never shed a tear as he entwined his
tiny hand in Clarissa's and said good-bye to his
surrogate mother. It was as if he had been waiting
all along for his sister to come and pick him up.
Robbie and Clarissa chatted all the way to the train
station and he never once let go of her hand.
They rode the train back to the place where
Clarissa and Marc had been staying. When they got
off the train they walked home, but Robbie was still
holding on to Clarissa's hand as if he was never
going to let go of it. When Clarissa tucked Robbie
into bed that night she sang him a song that she
had sung to him from the time he was an infant.
Robbie remembered and had memorized the
songs so now that he was old enough to talk, he
joined in by singing along with her. Clarissa's heart
was filled with joy because it had been a surreal
Marc found a courier and sent the message to Amsterdam.
Marc
and Robbie came to the hospital every day to cheer Clarissa
up. It seemed as if Robbie had never been away from her.
About three days later, after Marc had sent the message home,
he and Robbie were visiting Clarissa. As they were leaving she
dozed off but heard Robbie’s voice as he was talking to
someone. She thought that she was dreaming, but opened her
eyes and there in the doorway stood Robbie holding onto his
mother's hand. The miracle of it all was that her mother asked
Robbie "How do you know I am your mother?" Robbie looked
at her and put his little hand over his heart and said, "I feel it
right here." Clarissa looked at her mother and couldn't believe
that she was here in her hospital room. She saw so much
suffering in her mother's eyes. Her dress was threadbare and
hanging on her thin tiny frame like a rag and her beautiful hair,
once a deep rich brown had turned gray. Her eyes, that once
sparkled, were sunken deep into her hollowed cheeks and she
was missing a front tooth. On her feet were shoes full of holes
and socks too small that looked frayed from too much wear.
She rushed toward Clarissa's bedside where the women
embraced and both sobbed. Robbie continued holding onto
his mother's hand and watched the two as his tiny tears ran
freely down his little cheeks. Mother and daughter had so
much to catch up on.
she immediately took it and went to the Americans
telling them her story. Being kind and understanding
people, the Americans made arrangements for her to
get on a transport truck and ride along to Brabant.
Clarissa knew her mother well. She would have come if
she would have had to walk the entire distance. Her
mother stayed with Clarissa until the nurse told her she
must leave, but the next day she and Robbie returned
as soon as visitors were allowed. Clarissa started telling
the doctors that she wanted to go home and have her
baby.
Her doctor advised her that going home would be too
dangerous for her and the baby because she could lose
him or her. They found out that there was a transport
truck leaving for Amsterdam the very next day. Her
mother would have to ride in the back of the truck with
the troops. They decided then that her mother should
go along and that Clarissa, Marc and Robbie would
come home later when she was allowed to leave the
hospital.
After her mother left, Clarissa told the Doctor she still
wanted to have the baby in Amsterdam. She explained
that she wanted to go home, and finally, the doctor
relented and released her. Clarissa went to the headquarters of
the allied forces and shared her story. They told her that there was
a convoy leaving in two hours and if she could be ready, she was
welcome to go along for the ride to Amsterdam. Clarissa hurried
home and packed her belongings. She also packed up Robbie's
clothes that Mommy Van Doorn had given her and explained to
Robbie that they were going home to Amsterdam. Marc joined
them and the convoy was ready to leave. Clarissa and Robbie
were allowed to sit in the front on one of the trucks with the
driver, while Marc rode in the back. It was the ninth of June and
they were finally going home. They arrived home late in the
afternoon, ahead of Clarissa's mother, who would not be home
until the next day. Only her father Noni was home when they
arrived. When he opened the door and saw them standing there,
he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Clarissa had never seen her
father cry but the tears were rolling down his cheeks. He grabbed
his son and held him close whispering, "My little Robbie, you're
home. You're home at last. I have waited so long for this
moment. Thank you God." Noni's tears continued, unabated. He
sat down still holding Robbie to his chest and Robbie leaned in
closer to his father. Robbie's head had always been rather flat on
top and his father rubbed his son's head. "Robbie,” he said, “Your
head is still flat." “Pull down your socks,” Noni then demanded. “I
want to see your foot." Robbie obeyed and bending down,
lowered his sock. There on his small foot was the birthmark that
he had since birth. Noni just sat and held Robbie close to him.
Robbie Comes Home
(continued)
Dearest Moeder:
I have missed you all so much and hope you're all safe and well. It has been so
long and I can't wait to come home. I have such wonderful news. I have found
our Robbie and he will be coming home with me. Can you believe it?
Since you last saw me, Marc and I have married. I am expecting our first child
in the middle of June. As of now, I am in the hospital with premature labor
pains.
Transportation is very poor but I want to have my baby in Amsterdam. Hope-
fully, I will be well enough to travel and come home before the baby is born. I
want you to be with me when your first grandchild is born. It will be a new
beginning.
Love,
Clarissa, Robbie and Marc
28 Richards Street Geneva, IL 60134 LA 818-786-7633 Geneva 630-457-5255
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